Foldable and reclining chair



April 21, 11936. R o, 'T zmmmg FOLDABLE AND RECLINING CHAIR Filed Jan. 4, 1932 2 Sheet sSheet 2 flllorney Patented Apr. 21, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in. chairs and seats, and more particularly to a novel chair of the usual flexible seat and back construction.

The principal object of: this invention is to provide a seat of the reclining type, which while affording a support for the legs and feet, nevertheless permits folding into a compact and easily handled unit.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a foldable seat of the character mentioned which will permit execution of the rocking action throughout, without any noticeable effort on the part of the occupant.

Other objects reside in the provision of a canopy, magazine rack, and comfortable conveniences constructed particularly to conform with the human anatomy.

In the drawings:--

Fig. 1 represents a top plan view of a chair constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and in operative position.

Fig. 2 represents an enlarged vertical sectional view longitudinally through the extended chair.

Fig; 3 represents a side elevational view of the chair in collapsed position.

Fig. 4 represents an enlarged fragmentary detailed sectional view of the pin and slot connection.

Fig. 5 represents a fragmentary detail sectional View taken substantially on line 8-8 of Fig. 1

Fig- 6 represents a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 99 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 represents a side elevational' view of the 35 novel arm rest.

Fig. 8 represents a fragmentary detailed sectional' view through the framework of the canopy.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts, it can be seen that the chair includes a pair of elongated posts 55, connected at their upper end portions by the bar 6, and at their lower end portions by the slats l--1. Props 88 cross corresponding posts 55 and each prop 8 is secured pivotally as at 9 to its corresponding portion of the projection or arm extension l0 inwardly of the free end of the latter, said extension projecting from the arm rest II, and each of these arm rests is provided with a flat top piece I2. It can be observed in 50 Fig. 2, that the arm rest ll tapers rearwardly at which point it is pivotally connected as at l3 to the intermediate portion of the corresponding post 5. Secured to the intermediate portion of each projection or arm extension I0 is the corresponding end of the cross bar M to which the lower end of the flexible back or sheet I5 is secured. The upper end of the sheet I5 is secured to the aforementioned bar 6.

A pair of links or sills l5l6 are provided between the adjacent lower ends of the posts 5 and props 8, the forward end of each link or sill l6 beng pivotally connected to the lower end of the corresponding post 5 as at H, while its opposite end portion is provided with a longitudinally extending slot l8, for receiving a laterally projecting pin IS on. the corresponding prop 8.

Numeral. 20 represents a ground engaging bar which is secured at its end to the rear ends of the links or sills I6. Numeral 2| generally refers to a canopy, and as shown in Fig. 8, this canopy includes a pair of upright members 22-42, each pivotally secured at its inner end by a pin. 23 to the upper end of the corresponding post 5. Extending from each of the pins 23 is an elongated rod 24 which extends over the seat portion of the chair. The rods 24 are connected at their upper ends by a member'2'5, while the uppper ends of the members 22 are connected by a member 26. Thus two frames are supported upon the upper ends of the posts 5 andover this the canopy 21 of suitable fabric construction can be assembled.-

Numeral 28 generally refers to a leg and foot rest which is rockable with the chair proper. This leg rest includes a pair of elongated bars 29-29, each pivotally connected at its rear end as at 30- tothe forward end of the corresponding protuberance N) on one of the arm rests ll The forward end portion of each bar 29 is supported by an upright 31 which is pivotally secured at its upper end to the bar as at 32 so that the bars 29 can move with the rockingaction of the chair without the upright 31' shifting on the ground. The lower ends of these uprights 3| are secured to a ground engaging rocker 33, the same being in construction, a bar curved transversely thruout its entire length, so that when the chair is rocked, the bars 2929 will travel with the same and while the rocker 33 will remain in a fixed position upon the ground, it will nevertheless rock and give to the motion of the bars and chair proper.

As is clearly shown in Fig. 2, and in Fig. 5, a magazine rack is provided beneath the foot rest. The foot rest consists of a pair of members 34 bridging the bars 2929 and connected by equally spaced slats 35. The magazine rack includes a U-shaped member 36 secured at its upper end to the rearward bridge piece 34 and extending forwardly from this member 36 are the strips 31 of spring metal, which are curved as at 38,

at their forward ends, at which point, they are connected to the forward bridge piece 34.

As is particularly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, the cross bar I4 is of decided width and presents a substantially fiat top face which in cross section is substantially parallel with the longitudinal axes of the arm rests H. Furthermore, it is to be noted that the cross bar It is secured to the extension arms l4 forwardly of the pivotal connections 9 between the arm rests H and the props 8. It is also to be noted that the members 14' connecting the extremities of the cross bar 14 to the extension arms l extend through said arms between the pivotal mountings 9 and 30. These members I4 carry heads at their opposite ends contacting from above with the cross bar l4 and from below with the extension arms I0 whereby said extension arms are efiectively reinforced or strengthened to resist the loads imposed upon the arms in at the pivotal connection 9 and 30.

The particular location of the bar l4 provides a chair structure wherein the liability of the structure tilting backwards is substantially eliminated which is due to the fact that a considerable portion of the weight imposed by the occupant upon the sheet or flexible back 15 is upon the cross bar I4 which is arranged in advance of the pivotal connections 9. By having the cross bar l4 provided with a materially broad or wide upper face disposed in cross section substantially parallel with the longitudinal axes of the arm rests ll materially increases comfort to the occupant of the seat and more especially to the limbs of the person.

It can now be seen, that because of the provision of the projections or arm extensions ID on the arm rest I I, greater comfort will be available to the occupants because of the absence of the sharp edges of slats, which heretofore have been secured to the props 8 at their upper ends, and over which the sheet l has been secured at its lower end. Obviously, this discomfort has been removed by the disposition of this bar M on the horizontal plane, or on a plane substantially beyond the plane of the leg rest 28.

It can be seen, that by disposing the upright 3! backwardly against the bars 2929 and then tilting the props 88 rearwardly so that the arm rest I I will be thrown upwardly, the leg rests and magazine rack, can be disposed under the seat so as to rest upon the upper slat I.

In folding the chair, the arm rest II will go upwardly against the post 5, while the props 88 follow and assume a position almost parallel with respect to the post. This disposition of the props 8 is acquired principally by the pin and slot means in the lower ends of the props and the links 16 which are interposed between the lower ends of the posts and the aforementioned props.

While the foregoing specification sets forth the invention in specific terms, it is to be understood that numerous changes in the shape, size and materials may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed hereinafter.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. A magazine holder comprising a substantial- 1y horizontal support, a plurality of leaf springs each secured at one end to the support, means for spacing the remaining ends of the leaf springs from the support, said leaf springs gradually converging toward the support in a direction toward the secured ends thereof.

2. A folding rocking chair comprising spaced parallel sills, posts and props arranged in crossed relation, the posts having their lower ends pivotally connected with the forward ends of the sills, and the props having their lower ends pivotally connected with the rearward ends of the sills, arm rests interposed between and pivotally connected to the upper ends of the props and intermediate portions of the posts, said arm rests increasing in height from their connections with the posts to a point adjacent their outer ends where their upper edges are abruptly reduced to form extensions which terminate beyond their pivotal connections with the props, a cross bar secured to and bridging the extensions at a point beyond the pivotal connections of the props and extensions, and a flexible seat and back secured to the cross bar and the upper ends of the posts.

3. A folding chair comprising spaced parallel sills, posts and props arranged in crossed relation, the posts having their lower ends pivotally connected with the forward ends of the sills, and the props having their lower ends pivotally connected with the rearward ends of the sills, arm rests interposed between and pivotally connected to the upper ends of the props and intermediate portions of the posts, said arm rests having integrally formed extensions which terminate beyond their pivotal connections with the props, a cross bar secured to and bridging the extensions at a point beyond the pivotal connections of the props and extensions, and a flexible seat and back secured to the cross bar and the upper ends of the posts, said pivotal connections of the props and extensions normally being in advance of the pivotal connections of the lower ends of the posts and sills thus tending to prevent rearward capsizing of the chair when occupied.

RAYMOND O. STOCKIL. 

